Local artisans find themselves animating adventures on an exotic island
By Traci Angel
On the map, Madagascar is an island off Africa’s coast. But for young moviegoers, it’s Madagascar, the latest big-time cartoon movie from DreamWorks Animation, mastermind of Shark Tale and Shrek. And for St. Louis native Jonathan Gibbs, Madagascar is just another day at the office.
The 33-year-old began working for DreamWorks as an assistant animator on Antz in 1997. Computers have been a lifelong passion for Gibbs, who grew up in Chesterfield. His dad taught physics and math, and his mom is involved in the arts. “My job combines these two,” he says, explaining that he organizes and assembles high-tech computer images that are produced in sequence to create the movie.
For Madagascar, Gibbs developed a system to render and help design the jungle backgrounds. “When the drawings come out, they are lush and complicated, and we had to deal with that in a new way,” he says.
Gibbs supervised the “crowds,” the name given by animators to a movie’s background. In Madagascar, these crowds were mainly whooping, hollering, partying lemurs. “They had to be able to do things that lemurs do, like jump around,” he says.
Gibbs was also responsible for coordinating different departments and often acted as liaison between animators and directors. Amazingly, it took just 14 months to make Madagascar, although many animated movies spend up to two years in production.
Two other men who are originally from the St. Louis area joined the DreamWorks team for Madagascar. Joshua West of Hillsboro was a modeler, and Robert Rossoff of Creve Coeur built sets.
Rossoff says that he found his professional calling in drawing cartoons and was inspired by his mom: “She was animated.”
The three men didn’t know one another until they met at the California company. “We talked every day when the Cardinals were in the World Series,” Gibbs says.
Madagascar is being marketed for the kiddies, with Hasbro merchandising providing lots of jumbo plush. But animation movies such as this one have begun to garner an older fan following because of their scripts’ grown-up puns and references.
“We are the first audience, and we always want to work on something we find funny,” Gibbs explains. The results must also pass muster with his top critic, 3-year-old daughter Lucy. “She thinks the cartoons are made just for her,” says Gibbs.
Anyone can find the flick entertaining, and on closer look, artistic, Gibbs insists: “The first time, just watch and enjoy. The second or third time, see how visually rich the whole frame is. There is a whole world being created for you. The grass is moving beneath their feet, and the wind is blowing through the trees.
“With live action, you can’t art-direct,” Gibbs adds. “You have to accept what nature gives you. But we can style everything we want, everywhere.”
Madagascar, which opened May 27, tells the story of four best friends who grow up leading civilized lives in the Central Park Zoo, then break free. Soon captured and put on a boat for Africa, they wash up on the shores of Madagascar. Stranded, they encounter dilemmas they never had to face in captivity. “Nature! It’s all over me! Get it off!” shrieks Melman, a hypochondriac giraffe with a fear of heights.
The giraffe is voiced by David Schwimmer. The film also features the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett-Smith.
